LEGION BASEBALL: Fitzgerald goes route as Perkiomen tops Plumstead

RED HILL — Even the late arrival of reinforcements for the visitors didn’t keep Perkiomen from wrapping up a well-earned and important Bux-Mont Legion League win Friday night at Bonekemper Field.

The Indians had built a lead of five runs by the time four Plumstead players arrived from a Carpenter Cup Classic game in Philadelphia in the top of the sixth inning. They were immediately pressed into service as pinch hitters, but Perkiomen allowed only one run in that inning and then broke the game open with three in the bottom half for a 9-2 win.

Brendan Fitzgerald threw a complete game for the Indians (2-7) and Dante DeBrigida knocked in three runs. Sean Loughery and pitcher Dave Cherkowsky each had two hits for Plumstead (5-4).

The arrival of the cavalry for Plumstead immediately slowed down what had been a fast-paced game as four of the next five batters were pinch hit for and there were several timeouts called, including a couple to tie shoes.

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That seemed to briefly hurt the concentration of the hosts as Plumstead cut the deficit to 6-2 on a walk — the first of the game allowed by Fitzgerald — a steal, and a single. Then the next batter walked.

“It was just aggravating,” said Fitzgerald. “I’m just trying to pitch and they’re calling timeouts … tying shoes.”

At that point, Perkiomen coach Mike Fitzgerald called a conference at the mound.

“I just told them that all of the stalling tactics weren’t going to keep us from winning the game,” he said.

Brendan Fitzgerald responded by retiring the next two batters on a fly to left and a pop to first. Then Perkiomen put together a one-out walk to Jamie Boyle and two-out singles by Daulton Breyer, Brandon Frickmann, Fitzgerald and DeBrigida to add the insurance runs.

“The bottom of the sixth, we had a four run lead and they didn’t stop,” said Mike Fitzgerald. “The whole year, we don’t put the bats and gloves away.”

The game began as a pitching duel, scoreless going into the bottom of the third, when Perkiomen scratched out a run when Boyle reached first on an error, stole second, advanced to third on a broken-bat ground ball by Zach Zappo, and scored on a dribbler in front of the plate by Breyer.

Plumstead tied it in the fourth, but the Indians came right back with a four-run frame that began when Fitzgerald chopped one just inside the line past third base and legged it out for a double.

“I was actually trying to find a pitch to drive up the middle,” said the Perkiomen pitcher. “I saw him (the left fielder) bobbling out there and took off for second. That’s the kind of little spark that can light up the offense.”

That it did. DeBrigida followed with an RBI single to center, Ryan Harris reached first base on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt, Eric Stalford looped a run-scoring single over the leaping shortstop, Tyler Stephen put down a sacrifice, Zappo slapped an RBI single with two away, and a run scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-1.

“We played small ball and we got the key two-out hits, which we haven’t been doing this year,” said manager Fitzgerald. “That could have made a difference in a few games.”

That was plenty for Brendan Fitzgerald, who scattered eight singles and walked just the two batters in the sixth to go with four strikeouts. Along the way he threw 61 of 86 pitches for strikes, including first-pitch strikes to 26 of 31 batters.

“Getting ahead … that’s what you need to do,” said the Indians’ right-hander. “I have a good pitch-calling coach. I can mix up my first pitch. The split between the fastball and changeup is what keeps them off-balance. And I throw in my curve … just doing my job.”

The game began a stretch of six league contests in six nights for the Indians, one that could decide whether or not they earn one of the 11-team league’s eight playoff spots.

“If we split, we’ll be right in the middle of it,” Mike Fitzgerald added.